Achillea plant named ‘Firefly Peach Sky’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Yarrow, Achillea plant named ‘Firefly Peach Sky’, with tall mounded habit, narrow, gray-green, finely-dissected, fern-like foliage; tall, stiff, heavily branched stems with light peachy-orange ray florets that mature to yellow in large cymes, beginning in late June and continuing for about five weeks and repeating if deadheaded. The new plant is useful for landscaping, as a specimen or en masse and as a cut flower.

Botanical designation: Achillea hybrid.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Firefly Peach Sky’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(B)(6)

The first public disclosure of the claimed plant, in the form of a sale, was made by Walters Gardens, Inc. on Apr. 1, 2019. Prior to that, on Dec. 1, 2018 the claimed plant was displayed as a photograph with a brief description on a website operated by Walters Gardens, Inc., followed by listing with a photograph and brief description in the Walters Gardens 19-20 Catalog circulated on May 29, 2019. Walters Gardens, Inc. obtained the plant and all information relating thereto, from the inventor. No plants of Achillea ‘Firefly Peach Sky’ have been sold, in this country or anywhere in the world, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made, more than one year prior the filing date of this application, and such sale or disclosure within one year was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to the new and distinct yarrow herein also referred to as Achillea ‘Firefly Peach Sky’, by the cultivar name, ‘Firefly Peach Sky’, or as the new plant. The new plant was selected by the inventor as a single seedling resulting from a self-pollination of a proprietary, unreleased, unnamed seedling known only by the breeder code 13-5-8 (not patented) in research facility of a wholesale perennial grower based in Zeeland, Mich., USA. The cross was performed on Jun. 23, 2014 and seeds from this cross were collected on Sep. 23, 2014. The single seedling was then isolated and compared in subsequent years to other Yarrow and subsequently found to be different from all cultivars known to the discoverer and eventually given the breeder code 14-23-2.

Asexual propagation at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA by shoot tip cuttings and division since August of 2016 has shown ‘Firefly Peach Sky’ to be stable and reproduce true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Achillea ‘Firefly Peach Sky’ has not been observed in all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary slightly with changes in environments such as light intensity, fertility, water availability, etc. without, however any variation in genotype.

Achillea ‘Firefly Peach Sky’ is distinct from all cultivars known to the inventor in the following traits:

-   -   1. Mounded upright habit about 90 cm tall and 100 cm wide;     -   2. Gray-green finely dissected foliage;     -   3. Heavily-branched compound corymbs with broad clusters of         inflorescences;     -   4. Light peachy-orange ray florets that mature to yellow;     -   5. Sturdy stems withstand wind and rain;     -   6. Long flowering period beginning late June and continuing for         about five weeks;     -   7. Repeat flowering if deadheaded.

Plants of Achillea ‘Firefly Peach Sky’ are most similar to ‘Pineapple Mango’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,302 and ‘Peachy Seduction’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,262. ‘Pineapple Mango’ is smaller in habit, both shorter and narrower than the new plant and the ray florets display different coloration. ‘Peachy Seduction’ is smaller and less upright in habit, the inflorescences and ray florets are on smaller stems with ray florets of a different color. Photographs or plants of the parent selection were not maintained, so no comparison with the parents are possible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The color drawings illustrate the overall characteristics of Achillea ‘Firefly Peach Sky’ as a two-year-old plant in a full-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. The colors are as true as reasonably possible given the technology available. The color values may vary slightly depending on light intensity and quality.

FIG. 1 shows the new plant in a trial facility.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the inflorescence of the new plant.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following description of the new plant is based on a three-year-old plant growing in a full-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich., USA. Environmental conditions for the growing season daytime temperatures range between 12-30° C., and night temperatures range between 6-19° C. Except for ordinary dictionary color usage, color references are according to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 edition.

-   Parentage: Female or seed parent 13-5-8; male or pollen parent     13-5-8; -   Asexual propagation: Shoot tip cuttings, about 10 to 14 days to     initiate roots; time to finish as # 1 field grown size about 9     months; -   Plant habit: Dense axillary branches; upright, heavily-branched,     herbaceous, winter-hardy, perennial mound; up to 90.0 cm tall and     100.0 cm wide; average about 82.0 cm tall and about 88.0 cm across; -   Leaves: Alternate; canescent; pinnatisect with lobules incised to     midrib; lanceolate; acute apex; base attenuate; cauline leaves     sessile; micro-lanulose abaxial and glabrous adaxial; up to about     41.0 cm long and about 4.5 cm wide with individual lobes to about     30.0 mm long and about 14.0 mm wide; average leaf size about 19 cm     long and 3.5 cm wide; -   Leaf color: Young expanding leaves adaxial lobes nearest RHS N138B     and midrib nearest RHS 147C, abaxial lobes nearest RHS N138B and     midrib nearest RHS 191C; mature leaves adaxial lobes nearest RHS     NN137C and midrib nearest RHS 192D, abaxial lobes nearest RHS 137B     and midribs nearest RHS 148D; -   Foliage fragrance: Slightly herbal; -   Veins: Pinnate; only adaxial and abaxial midrib obvious; abaxial     midrib costate, adaxial midrib flat; adaxial sparsely lanulose,     abaxial lanulose; -   Petiole: Channeled; lanulose; to 5.0 cm long and 4.0 mm wide at     base; color nearest blend between RHS 145A and RHS 146D; -   Stems: Upright; cylindrical; lanulose to micro-pubescent;     longitudinally ridged in distal portion; color nearest RHS 137B     proximally, distally striped RHS 137B and RHS 192B; flowering in     upper 12.0 cm and 15 cm across; branches to about 22.0 cm long and     6.0 mm diameter at base; -   Inflorescence: Individual inflorescence about 7.0 mm diameter, about     7.0 mm tall from bottom of involucral bracts to top of center disk     tepals; disk about 3.0 mm across; attitude mostly upright; branching     with about 500 inflorescences per stem; branched panicle average     size about 18.0 cm across; -   Receptacle: About 4.0 mm tall and 3.0 mm across; color nearest RHS     148D; -   Inflorescence fragrance: Not detected; -   Phyllaries: About 15 in two whorls; lanceolate; acute apex; truncate     base; margin entire and ciliolate; outer or lower set about 2.0 mm     long and 1.0 mm across, inner set about 4.0 mm long and 1.5 mm     across; glabrous adaxial, puberulent abaxial; tightly adpressed     against ray petals; -   Phyllary color: Adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS 137B with midrib and     margin nearest RHS 155C; -   Bristles: Membranous; numerous; about 3.0 mm long and 0.5 mm across;     color nearest RHS 155D; -   Flowering period: Late June, for at least five weeks and repeating     if deadheaded; -   Flower longevity: 4 to 6 days; -   Inflorescence buds: With ray florets still erect 6.0 mm tall and 3.5     mm across; ovoid; -   Inflorescence bud color: Ray florets while still upright exposed     abaxial petal color nearest RHS 11D with a rim of nearest RHS 53B;     phyllaries color nearest RHS 137B with midrib and margin nearest RHS     155D; -   Pedicel: Cylindrical; lanulose; strong; upright attitude; heavily     branched; up to 6.0 mm long and 0.7 mm diameter; average 3.5 mm     long; and 0.5 mm diameter; -   Pedicel color: Color nearest RHS 138A; -   Ray florets: Imperfect; pistillate; typically about five per     inflorescence; with style about 2.0 mm long and split stigma; -   Ray floret ligule: Rounded with basal claw; apex rounded, emarginate     with two notches about 0.3 mm deep, margin entire; base claw,     attenuate; opening to a 90° angle; glabrous adaxial and adaxial;     blade about 2.0 mm long and about 3.3 mm wide; basal claw about 2.5     mm long and about 1.0 mm across;     -   -   Young ray floret ligule color when first flat.—Adaxial             nearest mixture of RHS 53A, RHS 53B and RHS 28D, abaxial             nearest RHS 11D with rim and blush of nearest RHS 53B and             claw base nearest RHS 145A.         -   Mature ray floret ligule color.—Adaxial nearest RHS 11D with             blush of nearest RHS 183D; abaxial nearest RHS NN155A with             claw nearest RHS 145A.         -   Ray floret ligule color before dehiscing.—Adaxial nearest             RHS NN155B; abaxial nearest RHS NN155A with claw nearest RHS             145A.         -   Style.—Cylindrical; about 2.0 mm long and 0.1 mm diameter;             exserted; color nearest RHS 147D proximally and nearest RHS             13C distally.         -   Stigma.—Bifid; about 0.5 mm long and 0.2 mm diameter; color             nearest RHS 168B. -   Disk florets: About 20 to 28 per capitulum; tubular; glabrous;     consisting of five tepals, staminal tube and pistil; size about 3.5     mm long by 1.5 mm wide at apex;     -   -   Tepals.—Five; linear; fused in basal 3.0 mm; apex acute and             recurved; margin entire; 3.5 mm long and 0.5 mm wide at             fusion.         -   Tepal color.—When first open variable nearest RHS 11B to RHS             11C adaxial with faint blush of nearest RHS 183D and abaxial             RHS 11B to RHS 11C with moderate blush of nearest RHS 183D;             when mature adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS 11B.         -   Staminal tube.—Made up of five adnate stamens; about 2.0 mm             long.         -   Filaments.—Cylindrical; about 0.5 mm long and 0.1 mm             diameter; color nearest RHS NN155A.         -   Anther.—About 1.2 mm long; color nearest RHS 162A.         -   Pollen.—Fine, round, closest to RHS 17C.         -   Style.—Bifid; cylindrical; exserted; about 2.0 mm long and             0.2 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 147D proximally and             nearest RHS 13C distally.         -   Stigma.—Bifid; reflexing as it matures; about 0.5 mm long;             color nearest RHS 168B. -   Seed: Flattened deltoid; acute apex and truncate base; surface     glabrous; about 2.0 mm long and 0.7 mm across base; -   Seed color: Between RHS 165A and RHS 165B in center and RHS 161D     around edges; Achillea ‘Firefly Peach Sky’ is tolerant of winter     temperatures as low as −35° C. and summer temperatures as high as     38° C. It is not known to be tolerant of diseases and pest that are     common to other Achillea cultivars. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Achillea plant named ‘Firefly Peach Sky’ as described and illustrated. 